So, here's my situation: I've been accepted to a few schools but it's most likely going to come down to Seattle U and Miami. I'm currently on hold at Miami and have put down my first deposit at Seattle. If I get into Miami, that's where I'm going. The only problem is that I am 3 credits short of graduating on time and will have to take 1 summer course. This class doesn't end until Aug 13th. First day of classes is around the 17th meaning I'd have to get settled in at Seattle or Miami in a week - which would be very difficult, especially for Miami if I get in. So, I was thinking of deferring for a year. Will all schools let you do this? Is it a smart choice to do so given my situation? What are your thoughts? Anything would be helpful. Also, I would like to note that my dad is adamantly against me taking a year off..

I took 2 years off even though my parents were really against it, but i couldnt have made a better choice. I used the two years to get some more college style partying out of my system, narrow down what I want to do professionally, visit where I'd like to live after law school and save up some money from working full-time. If you're having any doubts at all, i say defer. This is a big investment to gamble on..

btw - it depends on the school for deferring. Just write and ask them - and be specific about what you want to do in the year, and reassure them that youre committed to going to their school.

You could also simply reapply though, if you got in once, you'll just have a slightly better shot at getting in again depending on what you do, for how long, and how well you sell that in your re-application.

secretasianman wrote:thanks for the response. how often do schools allow people to defer? what happens if i ask to defer for a year and they say yes? could they change their mind later on?

No. If they grant you a deferral, you still have your seat the next year. Some schools don't allow many and some will generally allow (Cornell says they generally grant a deferral if the applicant asks for it by May something).

I know for a fact that at least last cycle, Miami overextended itself on offers and so were PAYING kids to defer a year because more people accepted their seats than they expected. They gave some huge schollies if kids pursued public interest for the deferral year. So if Miami made any similar miscalculations, you should at least be allowed to defer.